Birmingham runners to see city in a new light

New 5k run to herald the dawn.

Hundreds of residents will take to the streets of Birmingham city centre at sunrise on Friday 15th June for a new five-kilometre run.

It is the first time the Sunrise City 5K event will take place in Birmingham, with around 300 runners expected to take part at the unusual time of 5.30am on a Friday morning. All participants will wear this year’s official orange and purple event shirt to run in, creating a wave of colour passing through the deserted city centre.

The Sunrise City 5k is a non-competitive event and is open to all ages. The run (or walk) is a celebration of family, health and fitness, encouraging everyone, regardless of running ability, to hit the streets in the fresh light of the morning.

The event starts, and finishes, in front of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the iconic Library building. The route will take the runners out into the city centre and past landmarks including the Cathedral and Victoria Square. The runners will then take in a picturesque section around the canal, crossing various bridges and experiencing some of the city’s top attractions.

Nik Emmonds, Event Director, explained: “I’m delighted to bring our successful Sunrise City 5k to Birmingham for the first time. Sunrise’s appeal comes from the fact that you get to take part in an event before the vast majority of people are even awake. You get to see the streets and landmarks in your city when there is nobody else around and very little traffic on the roads. For that small amount of time, the city is yours to explore.

“There are also studies that have shown that being active before starting your working day leads you to be more productive, which is reflected in the number of people taking part with work colleagues. The non-competitive element means that we get a fantastic mix of people from those timing themselves on a fast 5k to those coming out for a morning stroll with their babies in a pushchair or to walk the dog.”

When You Wish Upon a Star is the official charity partner for the Birmingham Sunrise City 5k. The Midlands-based charity grants the wishes of children living with life threatening illnesses. Since being founded in 1990 they have granted over 17,500 wishes to children and families across the UK.

Alexa Wigfield, Regional Fundraiser for When You Wish Upon a Star, said: “We are delighted to be the Charity Partner for this event. We believe that every child deserves to smile and with your support we can provide time away, giving children and their families something to look forward to through times of uncertainty and often financial as well as emotional strain. Wishes allow the family to put their child’s illness on hold as they have fun and create precious memories.”

Visit www.sunrisecity.co.uk to register for the Birmingham event as well as the other five cities in the 2018 series.